UNITED NATIONS, March 10. /TASS/. The United Nations is working on exports of Russian grain and fertilizers, which help to reduce the risk of a global food crisis, a spokesperson for the UN secretary-general told reporters on Friday.
When asked about the agenda of the UN-Russian talks in Geneva due March 13, Stephane Dujarric replied that Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan is leading the UN effort "regarding the export of Russian fertilizer and grain which are very important part of our efforts to lower the risk of the ongoing global food crisis."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday the issue of removing all barriers to the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, which was a requirement of the Black Sea grain transportation agreement, "is not being fulfilled at all."
Agreements on the export of food from Ukraine were signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul to last 120 days. One of the agreements sets out a procedure for exporting grain from the Kiev-controlled ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny. Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations established a coordination center to inspect ships carrying grain to prevent weapons smuggling and provocations. Russia and the UN also signed a memorandum in which the UN pledged to work to lift anti-Russian restrictions that hinder the export of agricultural products and fertilizers. The agreement was extended for another 120 days in November and expires on March 18.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on March 2 that the deal wasn't working because the West was sabotaging the agreements' Russia-related clauses. The ministry pointed to 262,000 tons of Russian fertilizer that Russia planned to donate to the poorest countries, but ended up being blocked in the ports of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the Netherlands. They also pointed out that there are hurdles for shipments of Russian fertilizers and food to the world market. The only shipment that got through was 20,000 tons for Malawi.